The Chaco is the land that stretches westward from the Paraguay River. This area of land is part of the Grand Chaco, a large region that extends into the countries of Argentina and Bolivia. The Chaco accounts for about 60% of the area of Paraguay, but is only home to less than 5% of the population. This area is predominately characterized by its’ coarse grasses, scrub forests, and thorny shrubs. The scrub forests include quebracho trees, which are a source of tannin (a chemical used to process leather). There are several rivers that flow through eastern and southern Chaco. The Pilcomayo River creates the southwestern border between Argentina and Paraguay. It is common for this river to overflow in the summer along with many other rivers due to the heavy rains. During the dry seasons in the Chaco many rivers disappear and are replaced with salt marshes. The water found underground in Chaco contains too much salt for drinking or irrigation. This region is primarily used a cattle ranches in the south, a few faith based communities have taken up farming the central Chaco, and scattered tribes of Guaranà inhabit remote regions of the Chaco. The Chaco goes for the most part unused and uninhabited (Wilkie).
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